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magidI just hate it when people use "name" when they mean "list."
"Name the coefficients of the polynomial." is completely different from "List the coefficients of the polynomial."
The former makes me think of the Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin is asked to write something on a test "in his own words." Of course, his own words have a distinct lack of vowels and a greater tendency towards x's than is usual in English... Technically, a student could write "Jayne, Carolyn, and Michael" to answer the question. Of course, the student will end up with a reputation as a smart-aleck, but that's not quite the point. It's not unreasonable to expect well-written questions (or direction lines) in a text book.
"Name the coefficients of the polynomial." is completely different from "List the coefficients of the polynomial."
The former makes me think of the Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin is asked to write something on a test "in his own words." Of course, his own words have a distinct lack of vowels and a greater tendency towards x's than is usual in English... Technically, a student could write "Jayne, Carolyn, and Michael" to answer the question. Of course, the student will end up with a reputation as a smart-aleck, but that's not quite the point. It's not unreasonable to expect well-written questions (or direction lines) in a text book.
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Date: 2003-06-20 09:21 am (UTC)Hx,hoondzstndrznywyx?
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Date: 2003-06-20 09:24 am (UTC)(well, except for the bubbles :-)
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Date: 2003-06-20 09:29 am (UTC)